OBSERVATIONS 



ON THE USES OF THE 



MOUNDS OF THE WEST, 



WITH AN ATTEMPT AT THEIR CLASSIFICATION. 



BY 

E. G. SQU1ER, Chillicothe, Ohio. 



From the American Journal of Science and Arts, Second Series, Vol. III. 



NEW H A V 

PRINTED BY B. L. 




Printer to Yale College. 



1847. 



OBSERVATIONS, &c. 



The monuments of the Mississippi valley, are divisible into 
two grand classes, viz. the Enclosures, familiarly known as 
" Forts," and the Tumuli, or Mounds f together they constitute a 
single system of remains, and are the work of the same people. 

The enclosures, from their magnitude and other obvious rea- 
sons, have attracted, by far, the largest share of attention ; and 
the character of some of them, with their walls and ditches and 
guarded ways, is manifest, and may be regarded as settled. Of 
the mounds, however, little has been hitherto said or known. — 
The popular opinion, based, in a great degree, upon the well as- 
certained purposes of the barrows and tumuli occurring in cer- 
tain parts of Europe and Asia, is, that they are simple monu- 
ments, marking the last resting place of some great chief or dis- 
tinguished individual, among the tribes of the builders. Some 
have supposed them to be the cemeteries, in which were depos- 
ited the dead of a tribe or a village, for a certain period, and 
that the size of the mound is an indication of the number in- 
humed ! Others that they mark the sites of great battles, and 
contain the bones of the slain. On all hands the opinion has 
been entertained, that they were devoted to sepulture alone. 
This received opinion is not, however, sustained by the investiga- 
tions set on foot by the writer and his associate, Dr. E. H. Davis, 
of Chillicothe, Ohio. Nearly one hundred and fifty mounds, em- 
bracing those of every size and description, within enclosures 
and out of them, in groups and isolated, have been carefully exca- 
vated under their personal supervision, and every fact of import- 
ance respecting them carefully noted. The conclusion, to which 
these observations have led, is, that the mounds were construct- 
ed for several grand and dissimilar purposes, or rather, that they 
are of different classes ; — the conditions upon which the classifi- 
cation is founded being three in number — namely : position, 
structure, and contents. In this classification, we distinguish — 

1st. Those mounds which occur in, or in the immediate vicin- 
ity of, enclosures, which are stratified gfcnd contain altars of burn- 
ed clay or stone, and which were places of sacrifice, or in some 
way connected with religious rites and ceremonies. 

2d. Those which stand isolated, or in groups, more or less re- 
mote from the enclosures, which are not stratified, which con- 
tain human remains, and which were the burial places and mon- 
uments of the dead. 



* The term Mound is used, in this paper, in a technical sense as synonymous 
with tumulus and in opposition to embankment, rampart, etc. 



4 



On the Mounds of the West. 



3d. Those which contain neither altars nor human •remains, 
and which were places of observation or the sites of structures. 

These classes are broadly marked in the aggregate ; but, in 
some instances, they seem to run into each other. Mounds of 
this mixed character, as well as those which, under our present con- 
dition of knowledge respecting them, do not seem to indicate any 
clear purpose, have been denominated anomalous. Of one hun- 
dred mounds excavated, sixty were altar or sacrificial mounds, 
twenty sepulchral, and twenty either places of observation or anom- 
alous in their character. Such however, is not the proportion in 
which they occur. From the fact that the mounds of sacrifice, 
are most interesting and most productive in relics, the largest 
number excavated were of that class. In the Scioto valley the 
mounds are distributed, between the three classes specified, in 
very nearly equal proportions ; the mounds of observation and the 
anomalous mounds constituting, together, about one third of the 
whole number. 

Mounds of Sacrifice. — The general characteristics of this class 
of mounds are, — 

1st. That they occur only within, or in the immediate vicinity 
of, enclosures, or sacred places. 

2d. That they are stratified. 

3d. That they contain symmetrical altars of burned clay or 
stone, on which are deposited various remains, which, in all 
cases, have been more or less subjected to the action of fire. 

Of the whole number of mounds of this class, which were ex- 
amined, four only were found to be exterior to the walls of en- 
closures, and these were but a few rods distant from the ramparts. 

The fact of stratification, in these mounds, is one of great in- 
terest and importance. The feature has heretofore been remark- 
ed but not described with proper accuracy, and has consequently 
proved an impediment to the recognition of the artificial origin 
of the mounds, by those who have never seen them. The 
stratification, so far as observed, is not horizontal, but always con- 
forms to the convex outline of the mound.* Nor does it resemble 
the stratification produced by the action of water, where the lay- 
ers run into each other, but is defined with the utmost distinct- 
ness, and always terminates upon reaching the level of the sur- 
rounding earth. That it is artificial will, however, need no argu- 
ment to prove, after an examination of one of the mounds in 
which the feature occurs ; for, it would be difficult to explain, 
by what singular combination of " igneous and aqueous" action, 



* Some of the mounds, on the lower Mississippi, are horizontally stratified, ex- 
hibiting alternate layers, from base to summit. These mounds differ in form from 
the conical structures here referred to, and were, doubtless, constructed for a dif- 
ferent purpose. Prof. Forshey has described one which had layers of coarse 
bricks, at intervals, throughout its entire height. 



On the Mounds of the West. 



5 



stratified mounds were always raised over symmetrical monu- 
ments of burned clay or of stone. 

The altars, or basins, found in these mounds, are almost inva- 
riably of burned clay, though one or two of stone have been dis- 
covered. They are symmetrical, but not of uniform size, and 
shape. Some are round, others elliptical, and others square, or 
parallelograms. Some are small, measuring barely two feet 
across, while others are fifty feet long by twelve and fifteen wide. 
The usual dimensions are from five to eight feet. All appear 
to have been modelled of fine clay, brought to the spot from a 
distance, and rest upon the original surface of the earth. In a 
few instances, a layer or small elevation of sand had been laid 
down, upon which the altar wa^ formed. The elevation of the 
altars, nevertheless, seldom exceeds a foot or twenty inches, 
above the adjacent level. The clay of which they are compos- 
ed is usually burned hard, sometimes to the depth of ten, fifteen, 
and even twenty inches. This is hardly to be explained, by any 
degree or continuance of heat, though it is manifest that, in some 
cases, the heat was intense. On the other hand, a number of 
these altars have been noticed, which are very slightly burned, 
and such, it is a remarkable fact, are destitute of remains. 

The characteristics of this class of mounds will be best explain- 
ed, by reference to the accompanying illustrations. It should 
be remarked however, that no two are alike in all their details. 





The mound, a section of which is here given,* occurs in 
" Mound City," a name given to a group of twenty-six mounds, 



* Horizontal scale of section fifteen feet, and the vertical six feet, to the inch. 



6 



On the Mounds of the West. 



embraced in one enclosure, on the banks of the Scioto river, 
three miles above the town of Chillicothe. It is seven feet high 
by fifty-five feet base. A shaft, five feet square, was sunk from 
its apex, with the following results : — 

1st. Occurred a layer of coarse gravel and pebbles, which ap- 
peared to have been taken from deep pits, surrounding the enclo- 
sure, or from the bank of the river. This layer was one foot in 
thickness. 

2d. Beneath this layer of gravel and pebbles, to the depth of 
two feet, the earth was homogeneous, though slightly mottled, 
as if taken up and deposited in small loads, from different locali- 
ties. In one place appeared a deposit of dark colored, surface 
loam, and by its side, or covering it, there was a mass of the 
clayey soil of greater depth. The outlines of these various de- 
posits could be distinctly traced. 

3d. Below this deposit of earth, occurred a thin and even lay- 
er of fine sand, a little over an inch in thickness. 

4th. A deposit of earth, as above, eighteen inches in depth. 

5th. Another stratum of sand, somewhat thinner than the one 
above mentioned. 

6th. Another deposit of earth, one foot thick, beneath which 
was — 

7th. A third stratum of sand, below which was — 
8th. Still another layer of earth, a few inches in thickness, 
which rested on— 

9th. An altar, or basin, of burned clay. 

This altar was perfectly round. Its form and dimensions are 
best shown by the supplementary plan, and section A. F F, is 
the altar, measuring from c to d, nine feet ; from a to e, five feet ; 
height from b to e, twenty inches ; dip of curve are, nine inch- 
es. The sides c a, e d, slope regularly, at a given angle. The 
body of the altar is burned throughout, though in greater degree 
within the basin, where it was so hard as to resist the blows of a 
heavy hatchet, the instrument rebounding as if struck upon a 
rock. The basin, or. hollow of the altar, was filled even full with 
fine dry ashes, intermixed with which were some fragments of 
pottery, of an excellent finish and elegant model, ornamented 
with tasteful carvings on the exterior. One of the vases, taken 
in fragments from this mound, has been very nearly restored. 
The sketch B, presents its outlines, and the character of its orna- 
ments. Its height is six, its greatest diameter eight, inches. The 
material is hardly distinguishable from that composing the potte- 
ry of the ancient Peruvians, and in respect of finish, it is fully 
equal to the best Peruvian specimens. A few convex copper 
discs, much resembling the bosses used upon harnesses, were also 
found. 



On the Mounds of the West. 



7 



Above the deposit of ashes, and covering the entire basin, was 
a layer of silvery, or opaque mica, in sheets, overlapping each oth- 
er ; and, immediately over the centre of the basin, was heaped a 
quantity of burned human bones, probably the amount of a 
single skeleton, in fragments. The position of these is indicated 
by o in the section. The layer of mica and calcined bones, it 
should be remarked to prevent misapprehension, were peculiar 
to this individual mound, and were not found in any other of 
the class. 

It will be seen, by the section, that, at a point about three feet 
below the surface of the mound, a human skeleton was found. 
It was placed a little to the left of the centre, with the head to 
the east, and was so much decayed as to render it impossible to 
extract a single bone entire. Above the skeleton, as shown in 
the section, the earth and outer layer of gravel and pebbles, were 
broken up and intermixed. Thus while, on one side of the shaft, 
the strata were clearly marked, on the other they were confused. 
And, as this was the first mound of the class excavated, it was 
supposed, from this circumstance, that it had previously been open- 
ed, by some explorer, and it had been decided to abandon it when 
the skeleton was discovered. Afterwards the matter came to be 
fully understood. No relics were found with this skeleton. 

It is a fact well known, that the modern Indians, though pos- 
sessing no knowledge of the origin or objects of the mounds, 
were accustomed to regard them with some degree of veneration. 
It is also known, that they sometimes buried their dead in them, 
in accordance with the almost invariable custom which leads them 
to select elevated points, and the brows of hills, as their cemete- 
ries. That their remains should be found in the mounds, is 
therefore a matter of no surprise. They are never discovered at 
any great depth, not often more than eighteen inches or three 
feet below the surface. Their position varies in almost every 
case ; — most are extended at length, others have a sitting posture, 
and others still seem to have been rudely thrust into their shallow 
graves, without care or arrangement. Rude implements of bone 
and stone, and coarse vessels of pottery, such as are known to 
have been in use among the Indians, at the period of the earliest 
European intercourse, occur with some of them, particularly with 
those of a more ancient date ; while modern implements and or- 
naments, in some cases of European origin, are found with the 
recent burials. The necessity therefore of a careful and rigid 
discrimination, between these deposits and those of the mound 
builders, will be apparent. From the lack of such discrimina- 
tion, much misapprehension and confusion have resulted. Silver 
crosses, gun barrels and French dial plates, have been found with 
skeletons in the mounds, yet it is not to be concluded that the 
mound builders were Catholics, or used fire-arms, or understood 



8 



On the Mounds of the West. 



French. Such a conclusion would, nevertheless, be quite as veil 
warranted, as some which have been deduced from the absolute 
identity of certain relics, taken from the mounds, with art i\ 3 
known to be common among the existing tribes of Indians. The 
fact of remains occurring in the mounds, is in itself, hardly re- 
sumptive evidence that they pertained to the builders. The on- 
ditions attending them can alone determine their true char; ter. 
Asa general rule, to which there are few exceptions, the onl r au- 
thentic and undoubted remains of the mound builders, are f 
directly beneath the apex of the mound, on a level with th( 
original surface of the earth : and it may be safely assumed, that 
whatever deposits occur near the exterior surface are of a date 
subsequent to their erection. 

In the class of mounds now under consideration, we hav i da- 
ta which will admit of no doubt, whereby to judge of the o :igin, 
as well as the relative periods, of the various deposits foil ad in 
them. If the stratification already mentioned as characte 
them, is unbroken and undisturbed, if the strata are reguk 
entire, it is certain that whatever occurs beneath them, wa 
ced there at the period of the construction of the mound. And 
if, on the other hand, these strata are broken up, it is equally cer- 
tain, that the mound had been disturbed, and new deposits made, 
subsequent to its erection. It is in this view, that the fact of 
stratification is seen to be important, as well as interesting : for it 
will serve to fix, beyond all dispute, the origin of many singular 
relics, having a decisive bearing on some of the leading que stions 
connected with American Archaeology. The thickness 
exterior layer of gravel, etc., in mounds of this class, vark Jth 
the dimensions of the mound, from eight to twenty inche In 
a very few instances, the layer, which may have been dt d 
to protect the form of the mound, and which purpose it 
bly subserves, is entirely wanting. The number and 3 
position of the sand strata are variable ; in some of the r 
mounds, there are as many as six of them, in no case le m 
one, most usually two or three. 

In one case which fell under our observation, and in a - her, 
of which we have an account from the person who disco\ red it, 
the altar was of stone. This altar was elevated two and one half 
feet above the original surface of the earth, and was five feet long 
by four broad. It was a simple elevation of earth packed hard, 
and was faced, on every side and on top, with slabs of stone of 
regular form, and nearly uniform thickness. They were laid 
evenly, and, as a mason would say, "with close joints," and 
though uncut by any instrument, the edges were straight and 
smooth. The stone is "the Waverly sandstone," underl rjg the 
coal series, thin strata of which cap every hill. This ston breaks 
readily, with a rectangular fracture, and hence the regi ity of 



On the Mounds of the West. 



9 



the slabs is not so much a matter of surprise. This altar bears 
the marks of fire, and fragments of the mound builders' orna- 
ments were found on and around it. What had originally been 
deposited there was probably removed by the modern Indians, who 
had opened the mound and buried one of their dead on the altar. 

Mounds of this class are most fruitful in relics of the builders. 
On the altars have been found, though much injured and broken 
up by the action of fire, instruments and ornaments of silver, 
copper, stone and ivory ; beads of silver, copper, pearls and shell ; 
spear and arrow-heads of flint, quartz, garnet and obsidian ; fos- 
sil teeth of the shark ; teeth of the alligator ; marine shells ; ga- 
lena ; sculptures of the human head, and of numerous animals ; 
pottery of various kinds, and a large number of interesting arti- 
cles, some of which evince great skill in art. No description of 
these can be given here. 

Mounds of Sepulture. — The mounds of sepulture stand apart 
from the enclosures, and, in their average dimensions, greatly ex- 
ceed those of the first class. The celebrated mound at Grave creek 
was of this class. They lack the gravel and sand strata, which 
characterize those already described, and are destitute of " altars." 
They invariably cover a skeleton, (sometimes more than one, as 
at Grave creek, ) which, at the time of its interment, was enclo- 
sed in a rude framework of timber, or enveloped in bark or coarse 
matting, the traces, in some instances the very casts of which, re- 
main. The structure of one mound of this class, will serve to 
exhibit their peculiarities. 

Fig. 2. 




The mound, of which the above is a section,* stands on the 
third " bottom" or terrace of the Scioto river, six miles below the 



* Horizontal scale thirty feet, and vertical fifteen feet, to the inch. 

2 



10 



On the Mounds of the West. 



town of Chillicothe. There are no enclosures nearer than a mile, 
though there are three or four other mounds, of smaller size, on 
the same terrace, within a few hundred yards. The mound is 
twenty-two feet high, by ninety feet base. The principal exca- 
vation was made, (as represented by the dotted lines in the sec- 
tion,) from the west side, commencing at about one-third of the 
height of the mound from the top. At ten feet below the sur- 
face, occurred a layer of charcoal, (a,) not far from ten feet square, 
and from two to six inches in thickness, slightly inclined from 
the horizontal, and lying mostly to the left of the centre of the 
mound. The coal was coarse and clear, and seemed to have been 
formed by the sudden covering up of the wood, while burning, 
inasmuch as the trunks and branches retained their form, though 
entirely carbonized, and the earth immediately above, as well as 
below, was burned of a reddish color. Below this layer, the earth 
became much more compact and difficult of excavation. At the 
depth of twenty-two feet, and on a level with the original sur- 
face, immediately underneath the charcoal layer, and, like that, 
somewhat to one side of the centre of the mound, was a rude 
timber framework, (B,) now reduced to an almost impalpable 
powder, but the cast of which was still retained in the hard earth. 
This enclosure of timber, measured from outside to outside, was 
nine feet long by seven wide, and twenty inches high. It had 
been constructed of logs laid one on the other, and had evidently 
been covered with other timbers, which had sunk under the su- 
perincumbent earth, as they decayed. The bottom had also been 
covered with bark, matting, or thin slabs, — at any rate, a whitish 
stratum of decomposed material remained, covering the bottom 
of the parallelogram. Within this rude coffin, with its head to 
the west, was found a human skeleton, or rather the remains of 
one, for scarcely a fragment as long as one's finger could be re- 
covered. It was so much decayed that it crumbled to powder, 
under the lightest touch. Around the neck of the skeleton, form- 
ing a triple row, and retaining their position, as originally strung 
and deposited with the dead, were several hundred beads, made 
of ivory, or the tusks of some animal, (C.) Several of these still 
retain their polish, and bear marks which seem to indicate that 
they were turned in some machine, instead of being carved by 
hand. A few laminse of mica were also discovered, which com- 
plete the list of articles found with this skeleton. The foot of the 
skeleton was nearly in the centre of the mound. A drift beyond 
it developed nothing new, nor was a corresponding layer of char- 
coal found, on the opposite side of the mound. It is clear there- 
fore, that the tumulus was raised over this single skeleton. In 
the case of a mound of this class, opened at Gallipolis, on the 
Ohio river, the chamber enclosing the skeleton was found just 
below the original surface, — a fact which can always be detected 



On the Mounds of the West. 



11 



by a strongly marked line, and the uniform drab color of the 
earth beneath it. 

The layer of charcoal is not uniformly found in mounds of 
this class, though it is a feature of frequent occurrence. It would 
seem to indicate that sacrifices were made for the dead, or that 
funeral rites of some kind were celebrated. The fire, in every 
case, was kept burning for a very brief space, as is shown by the 
lack of ashes, and the slight traces of its action left on the adja- 
cent earth. That it was suddenly heaped over, is also proved 
by the facts already presented. 

Bracelets of copper and silver ; beads of bone, ivory and shell ; 
mica plates and ornaments ; stone instruments of various kinds, 
some of which are identical with those found in mounds of the 
first class, etc. etc., are found with the skeletons. In every in- 
stance falling within our observation, the skeleton has been so much 
decayed, that any attempt to restore the skull, or indeed any por- 
tion of it, was hopeless. Considering that the earth around these 
skeletons is wonderfully compact and dry, and that the conditions 
for their preservation were exceedingly favorable, while, in fact, 
they are so much decayed, we may form some estimate of their 
remote antiquity. In the barrows and cromlechs of the ancient 
Britons, entire and well preserved skeletons are found, although 
having an undoubted antiquity of 1500 years. 

In some of the sepulchral mounds, as has already been stated, the 
sarcophagus, if we so please to term it, was omitted by the build- 
ers, the dead body having been simply enveloped in bark or mat- 
ting. Perhaps this course was most frequently pursued. In these 
cases, the original surface appears to have been carefully smoothed 
and leveled, for a space ten or twenty feet square, which space 
was covered with bark. Upon this was deposited the dead body, 
and, by its side, such personal ornaments or implements as were 
deemed proper, the whole being covered over with another layer 
of bark, and the tumulus raised above. Instances have occurred 
in which it is clear that burial by incremation was made, but 
these are comparatively rare.* In the celebrated mound at 
Grave creek, two sepulchral chambers were discovered, one at the 
base, another at a higher point. The lower one contained a sin- 
gle skeleton, and the upper two. This mound, in this respect, is 
somewhat extraordinary. It may be conjectured, with some appear- 
ance of reason, that it contained the bones of the family of a chief- 
tain, or distinguished individual, among the builders. It is common 
to find two or three, sometimes four or five, sepulchral mounds, 
in a group. In such cases, it is always to be remarked, that one 



* Did the scope or limits of this paper permit, the facts bearing upon this point 
would be here presented. As it is, the reader is respectfully referred to certain 
publications which are shortly to appear, under the auspices of the New York 
Ethnological Society. 



12 



On the Mounds of the West. 



of the group is much the largest, twice or three times the dimen- 
sions of any of the others, and that the smaller ones are arranged 
around its base, generally joining it, thus evincing an intended 
dependence and close connection between them. Plans of three 



Mounds of Observation. — On the tops of the hills and on the 
jutting points of the table lands, bordering the vallies in which 
the earthworks of the West are found, mounds occur in consider- 
able numbers. The most elevated and commanding positions are 
frequently crowned with them, suggesting at once the same use 
to which the cairns of the Celts were applied — that of signal or 
alarm posts. On a high hill, opposite Chillicothe, 600 feet in 
height, the loftiest in the whole region, one of these mounds is 
placed. A fire built upon it would be visible for a distance of 
fifteen or twenty miles up and down the river, as well as for a 
number of miles up the valley of Paint creek, — a broad and fer- 
tile valley, abounding in ancient monuments. Between Chilli- 
cothe and Columbus, a distance of 45 miles, there are about 
twenty mounds, so placed that, it is believed, if the country were 
cleared of forests, signals by fire could be transmitted, along the 
whole line, in a few minutes. Our examination of this descrip- 
tion of mounds, from a variety of causes, has been comparative- 
ly limited. So far as our personal observation goes, they contain 
none of the remains found in the two classes of mounds, just 
described ; and, although there are traces of fire around most of 
them, the marks are not sufficiently strong to justify fully, the 
inferences that they were lookouts and fires used as the signals. 
Indeed, it is certain that, in some cases, they contain human re- 
mains, undoubtedly those of the mound builders. It is possible 
that a portion were devoted to sepulture, another portion to obser- 
vation, or that some answered a double purpose. This is a point 
which remains to be settled, by more extended observation. 






Fig. 3. 



groups of this description are giv- 
en in the annexed figures. May 
we not conclude that such a group 
is the tomb of a family — the prin- 
cipal mound covering the head 
of the same, the smaller ones 
its various members? In the 
Grave creek mound, it is possi- 
ble that, instead of building a 
new mound, an additional cham- 
ber was constructed upon the 
summit of the one already rai- 
sed — a single mound being thus 
made to occupy the place of a 
group. 



MB 10 3. 



On the Mounds of the West. 



13 



There is another description of mounds which should properly 
be here mentioned. Their purposes admit of no doubt. They 
consist of pyramidal structures, or " elevated squares," and are 
found almost invariably within enclosures. They are sometimes 
of large dimensions. Those at Marietta are fair examples of the 
class, and No. 1, Fig. 4, exhibits their structure and dimensions. 



Fig. 4. 




No. 2, is an elevation of a similar mound, on the banks of Wal- 
nut Bayou, Madison Parish, Louisiana, and is introduced, inci- 
dentally, to show the connection between the monuments of the 
lower Mississippi and Mexico, and those of the Ohio valley. 
None of these, so far as examined, contain remains. They were 
obviously designed as the sites of temples or structures which 
have passed away, or as " high places" for the performance of 
certain ceremonies. Perhaps they deserve to occupy a place by 
themselves, in the classification here attempted. 

Anomalous Mounds.- — It will be impossible, within the com- 
pass of this paper, to enter into the details which a proper notice 
of these mounds would require. Such a notice would necessari- 
ly involve a description of almost every one thus characterized. 
A single mound was examined which contained an altar and also 
a skeleton with its rude enclosure of wood. It was elliptical in 
shape, measuring 160 feet in length, 60 in width, and 25 in height. 
The altar occupied one centre of the ellipse, the chamber of the skel- 
eton the other. Of the twenty-six mounds embraced in "Mound 
City," six are of very small dimensions, not exceeding three feet in 
height. Within each of these was deposited a quantity of burn- 
ed human bones, in fragments, not exceeding, in any case, the 
amount of a single skeleton. No relics were found with these, 
though in one instance a fragment of an altar, a couple of inches 



14 



On the Mounds of the West. 



square, was observed with the bones, leading to the conclusion 
that they were taken up from the altars, in the adjacent larger 
mounds, and afterwards finally deposited here. 

General Observations. — Whether these classes are maintained 
throughout the West, is a question which a systematic examina- 
tion, carried on over a wide field, alone can determine. In al- 
most every case, falling within our knowledge, when mounds 
have been thoroughly examined by competent persons, some of 
the features here marked, have been noticed. It is conjectured, 
that the " brick hearths," of which mention has occasionally been 
made, were the " altars," already described as belonging to a 
certain class of mounds. Nothing is more likely than that some 
of them were left uncovered by the builders, and subsequently 
hidden by natural accumulations, to be again exposed by the in- 
vading plough or the recession of the banks of streams. The 
indentations occasioned by the passage of roots across them, or by 
other causes, would naturally suggest the notion of rude brick 
hearths. 




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